NEW YORK, January 3, 2004 -- Contestants won't stand a chance in COMEDY CENTRAL's new game show, "Distraction," premiering Tuesday, January 18 at 10:30 p.m. Produced by FremantleMedia North America ("American Idol," "How Clean Is Your House?") and hosted by British comedian Jimmy Carr, this outrageous, laugh-out-loud game show revolves around Carr's sharp, dry wit and his brash dealings with contestants.

Based on a British show of the same name, "Distraction" demands the ultimate in physical and mental endurance from its contestants. The show pitches four rivals in a battle of wits to answer general knowledge questions while being "distracted" by a series of challenges, aimed at throwing them off course.

These "distractions" can include electrical shocks, nudist relay races, vicious dog attacks and paint ball peltings. Extreme challenges include contestants struggling to correctly answer questions while sitting underneath a crowded pigeon coop, downing shooters of hot sauce or being smashed over the head with various objects! The last contestant remaining at the end of each show wins the game, but host Carr always has another surprise in store.

Twelve episodes of "Distraction" will air over 12 consecutive weeks. Encore presentations will air Tuesdays at 12:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.

In addition, Jimmy Carr showcases his comedic timing in his own original, half-hour special, "COMEDY CENTRAL Presents Jimmy Carr," premiering Friday, January 14 at 10:00 p.m. Discover why Carr is such a hit in the UK, and get a glimpse inside the dirty mind behind his mild-mannered demeanor in this all-new stand-up special.

Carr, the current host of "Distraction" in the UK, is a frequent performer at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival and the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. He has also appeared on such shows as "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night With Conan O'Brien."

"Distraction" is executive produced by Michael Dugan, whose credits include COMEDY CENTRAL's "Trigger Happy TV," the game show "Smush" for USA Network and "Apt. 2F" for MTV. Lou Wallach and Scott Landsman serve as executives in charge of production for COMEDY CENTRAL.

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is on the leading edge of global broadcast production, developing some of television's most innovative and watched new programming. Based in Santa Monica and with offices in New York, FMNA has produced such genre-bending shows as the musical/reality phenomenon "American Idol" (Fox), which received five Emmy nominations in 2003, and the hotly debated reality series "The Swan" (Fox). Other credits include "The Price Is Right" (CBS), the longest-running game show in television history, the daily syndicated game show ?Family Feud? and the breakout hit lifestyle show "How Clean Is Your House?" (Lifetime).

COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 86 million homes nationwide. COMEDY CENTRAL a registered trademark of Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of MTV Networks. COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is http://www.comedycentral.com.

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